The June edition of the Gathering Sparks Singalong Soirée is coming right up at the Tranzac Club in Toronto. We hope you can join us for an evening of singable songs to lift your spirits! Following that, I will be participating in Spiritfest, a festival of spirituality and creativity in Mansfield. Gathering Sparks performs at the Desboro Music Hall July 2nd, and we are gearing up for the Mariposa Festival July 8-10. Check the calendar at the bottom of this email for more details on all of these fine events.

And for all you last-minute summer planners, there is still time to sign up for uke classes at Haliburton School of the Arts in July or the wonderful singing/canoeing trip I'll be part of in August.

I do want to take a moment to acknowledge the terrible shooting in Orlando. It has been a hard, hard week, and sometimes it is hard to know how to move forward in the face of something so senseless. What comes to me, as I try to formulate a response, is that I have to continue to love, continue to create positive spaces, continue to work for peace, and continue to sing, no matter what. So now seems a perfect time to say a huge "I LOVE YOU" to the wonderful community of people that I feel privileged to be part of-- whether we are connected through music, friendship, business, or blood. I feel grateful to be part of this tribe of kind hearts, nerds, freaks, and outsiders of every kind. Our differences make us beautiful, and they also make us strong. Keep shining your light.

(I have included some resources about events in Orlando in the "A Few Of My Favourite Things" section below.)

The Singalong Soirée is back! Once again we bring you a concert of songs you can sing along to -- a mix of folk music gems, original tunes, golden oldies, and pop, rock, and country classics. A great way to wrap up your weekend. Come sing, mouth the words, or just tap your toes! Music-loving listeners are always welcome.